1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a polymeric composition per se and to a transfer sheet comprising said polymeric composition. Further, the present invention relates to a method of transferring image areas and non-image areas to a receptor element. More specifically, the present invention relates to an image transfer paper which can be used in electrostatic printers and copiers or other devices in which toner particles are imagewise applied to a substrate, and having images which are capable of being directly transferred to, for instance, a receiver such as a textile, such as a shirt or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Textiles such as shirts (e.g., tee shirts) having a variety of designs thereon have become very popular in recent years. Many shirts are sold with pre-printed designs to suit the tastes of consumers. In addition, many customized tee shirt stores are now in the business of permitting customers to select designs or decals of their choice. Processes have also been proposed which permit customers to create their own designs on transfer sheets for application to tee shirts by use of a conventional hand iron, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,244,358 issued Sep. 23, 1980. Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 4,773,953 issued Sep. 27, 1988, is directed to a method for utilizing a personal computer, a video camera or the like to create graphics, images, or creative designs on a fabric.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,620,548 is directed to a silver halide photographic transfer element and to a method for transferring an image from the transfer element to a receptor surface. Provisional application No. 60/029,917 discloses that the silver halide light sensitive grains be dispersed within a carrier that functions as a transfer layer, and does not have a separate transfer layer. Provisional application No. 60/056,446 discloses that the silver halide transfer element has a separate transfer layer. Provisional Application No. 60/0156,593 relates to dye sublimation thermal transfer paper and transfer method. Provisional Application No. 60/065,806 relates to a transfer element using CYCOLOR technology, and has a separate transfer layer. Provisional Application No. 60/065,804 relates to a transfer element using thermo-autochrome technology, and has a separate transfer layer. Provisional Application No. 60/030,933 relates to a transfer element using CYCOLOR and thermo-autochrome technology, but having no separate transfer layer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,798,179 is directed to a printable heat transfer material using a thermoplastic polymer such as a hard acrylic polymer or poly(vinyl acetate) as a barrier layer, and has a separate film-forming binder layer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,271,990 relates to an image-receptive heat transfer paper which includes an image-receptive melt-transfer film layer comprising a thermoplastic polymer overlaying the top surface of a base sheet.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,502,902 relates to a printable material comprising a thermoplastic polymer and a film-forming binder.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,614,345 relates to a paper for thermal image transfer to flat porous surfaces, which contains an ethylene copolymer or a ethylene copolymer mixture and a dye-receiving layer.
One problem with many known transfer sheets is that when conventional transfer materials travel through laser printers or copiers, the high temperature in the printers and copiers partially melts some polymer materials, such as a wax, present in the transfer material. As a result, the laser printer or copier must be frequently cleaned. The present invention solves this problem in the art. However, the present invention is not limited to use in laser printers and copiers.
Therefore, in order to attract the interest of consumer groups that are already captivated by the tee shirt rage described above, the present inventors provide, in one embodiment of the invention, the capability of transferring images directly to a receiver element using a material capable of holding and transferring an image. A unique advantage of the above described embodiment is to enable all consumers to wear and display apparel carrying designs that were formed on the substrate of the present invention by, for example, a photocopier or a computer printer in a timely and cost efficient means.
The present invention relates to a polymeric composition comprising an acrylic dispersion, an elastomeric emulsion, a plasticizer, and a water repellant. In one embodiment of the polymeric composition of the present invention, the acrylic dispersion is an ethylene acrylic acid dispersion, the plasticizer is a polyethylene glycol, and the water repellant is polyurethane dispersion. The ethylene acrylic acid preferably melts in the range of from 650xc2x0 C. to about 180xc2x0 C. The elastomeric emulsion and the polyurethane dispersion have a Tg in the range of from about xe2x88x9250xc2x0 C. to about 25xc2x0 C.
The elastomeric emulsion may be selected from, for example, polybutadiene, polybutadiene derivatives, polyurethane, polyurethane derivatives, styrene-butadiene, styrene-butadiene-styrene, acrylonitrile-butadiene, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, acrylonitrile-ethylene-styrene, polyacrylates, polychloroprene, ethylene-vinyl acetate and poly (vinyl chloride).
The addition of elastomeric polymers and polyurethane polymers also help provide wash stability and chemical stability.
The polymeric composition of the present invention is useful as a release layer (i.e., transfer layer) in an imaging material. The imaging material of the present invention comprises a substrate, release layer, an optional barrier layer, and an optional image-receiving layer.
The imaging material of the present invention can be imaged upon using electronic means or craft-type marking. The electronic means may be, for example, electrostatic printers including but not limited to laser printers or laser copiers (color or monochromatic). In another embodiment, the invention may also be practiced with ink jet or thermal transfer printers. The present invention may also be practiced with offset printing (conventional printing) or screen printing. Further, the present invention may be practiced using craft-type markings such as, for example, markers, crayons, paints or pens.
When a laser printer or laser copier is used to image the imaging material of the present invention, the imaging material of the present invention may optionally comprise an antistatic layer, which is coated on the backside of the substrate (i.e., the side that was not previously coated with the release layer, etc.). The resulting image can be transferred to a receptor element such as a tee shirt using heat and pressure from a hand iron or a heat press.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the substrate comprises a sheet of a nonwoven cellulosic support, or polyester film support, with at least one release layer comprising an acrylic dispersion, an elastomeric emulsion, a plasticizer, and a water repellent material providing an effective transfer or release layer.
The substrate may, for example, be a nonwoven cellulosic support, or polyester film support, with overcoat layers such as an optional barrier layer comprising a polymer to prevent the toner from adhering to the support; a release layer to effectively transfer and release the release and image layer(s) and which comprises an acrylic dispersion, an elastomeric emulsion, a plasticizer, and a water repellent material; and an optional image receiving layer comprising an acrylic dispersion and optional filler agents (with the purpose of modulating the surface characteristics of the transfer sheet) to facilitate the imaging of the toner. One example of a commercially available substrate is a standard sheet of laser copier/printer paper such as Microprint Laser paper from Georgia Pacific.
The coated substrate is placed in a laser copier or printer (color or monochromatic) and imaged on top of the image receiving layer. The printed sheet is placed image side against a receptor (such as, for example, a tee shirt). Heat and pressure are applied to the non-image side of the substrate to transfer the release layer(s) and the optional image receiving layer(s). The substrate is allowed to cool and then removed from the receptor. In one embodiment of the invention, such as when the barrier layer comprises EVERFLEX G, the substrate may be removed from the receptor before cooling (i.e., xe2x80x9chot peelxe2x80x9d).